Thursday, January 25, 2024

Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I'm back again with a new edition of Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food and drink events. For this edition, I'll be mentioning some spots for Valentine's Day celebrations. I hope everyone dines out safely, tips well and are nice to their servers.
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1) Abe & Louie’s will be dishing out a quintet of specials for six nights of “date night.” To start, there’s a half-dozen roasted A5 Atlantic Coast oysters with wagyu renderings, black truffle, and gremolata ($30) as well as a slow-baked beet salad with whipped goat cheese, toasted pistachios and a lemon-mint vinaigrette ($19). For entrees, there is a poached Maine lobster tail with gnocchi Parisienne, beech mushrooms and bearnaise ($42) in addition to a 16-ounce, 40-day dry aged bone-in NY strip with grilled broccolini and a twice-baked potato ($115). The dessert feature is a wild strawberry tarte with chocolate ice cream ($12). Cocktail pairings include Forbidden Fruit with Sipsmith gin, Cardamaro, Cappelletti, cranberry juice and prosecco as well as Devilish Margarita with Patron, Cointreau, spicy yuzu puree, crème de cassis and fresh citrus. Reservations from February 9-14. 

2) Atlantic Fish Co. will feature their full menu of seafood classics in addition to some special features during the week leading up to Valentine’s Day. To start, there is a roasted butternut squash & radicchio salad with winter pear, aged parmesan, and citrus vinaigrette ($17) as well as six oysters Rockefeller with wilted spinach and a black truffle hollandaise ($27). The duo of mains is a baked New England scrod with Ritz cracker crumbs, roasted broccolini, fingerling potatoes and a lemon-butter sauce ($39) in addition to lobster carbonara with homemade fettuccini, guanciale, English peas and pecorino Romano ($46). For something sweet, opt for the wild strawberry tarte with chocolate ice cream ($12). Cocktail pairings include Who’s the Best Catch? with Lunazul reposado tequila, lime juice and scotch bonnet pomegranate as well as How About a Squeeze? with orange vodka, clementine oleo, Pom juice and fresh citrus. Reservations from February 9-14.  

3) Coach Grill, will dish out six nights of romance-inspired specials for Valentine’s Day. The starter features are a half-dozen grilled Atlantic Coast oysters with ginger mignonette and pomegranate kernels ($27) as well as a prime steak tartare with toast points ($31). Bring your appetite for the main courses, a Colorado herb-crusted rack of lamb with potatoes au gratin and green beans in a red wine reduction ($75) and the grilled swordfish chop with roasted mushrooms, cauliflower puree and lemon-brown butter ($65). Leave room for dessert, a wild strawberry tarte with chocolate ice cream ($12). Featured cocktails include the Getting Fizzy with It with Sipsmith gin, pomegranate, simple syrup, fresh citrus and soda water; No Sour Hearts Here with Benchmark bourbon, Pom juice, Domaine Canton and fresh lemon juice; and Temple of Love with Grey Goose, Luxardo, black cherry puree, grenadine and Sprite. Reservations from February 9-14.  

4) On Wednesday, February 14th, Saltie Girl will be hosting a four-course, prix fixe dinner with Chef Kyle McClelland. With two seatings at 6 and 8 p.m., the special dinner will be held in Saltie Girl’s original, intimate space located at 281 Dartmouth Street. The seafood-centric menu costs $100 per person and will feature options including wagyu beef tartare, cacio e pepe spaghetti, and pan-roasted black cod. Please visit HERE for the full menu and to make a reservation.

5) Chef Will Gilson’s romantic Italian destination Geppetto will be offering a special five-course tasting menu on February 14th for $95 per person to celebrate amore. The menu will feature a choice of options including dishes like shrimp scampi, lamb chops, chocolate budino, and strawberry + persimmon pavlova. Please visit HERE for more details and to make a reservation.

6) Chef Will Gilson’s Puritan & Co., located in Cambridge’s Inman Square, will be serving up a five-course dinner on February 14th for $95 per person. Menu options will include choices such as Maine mussels toast, squash risotto, ricotta gnocchis, steak frites, and lemon vanilla posset. The full beverage menu will be available in-house for purchase, as well. For the complete menu or to make a reservation, please visit HERE.

7) Rochambeau will be celebrating Galentine's and Valentine's this year! Rochambeau will be celebrating the galpals on Saturday, February 10th with a fab dinner party including a champagne tower, live music, decorations, $1 oysters, menus specials like crepes and chocolate covered strawberries, and more from 7 to 10 p.m. On Valentine's Day, they will be serving up a three-course dinner menu on Valentine’s Day for $85 per person, with an additional wine pairing and specialty cocktails available. The restaurant will be elevated with a romantic feel for the evening with white linens and roses on each table.

8) On Valentine’s Day,  Little Donkey, the global tapas restaurant from Chef Ken Oringer, located in Central Square, invites its guests to celebrate all things love with a special menu where guests can choose from a variety of curated Little Donkey favorites items to customize their unique Valentines’ Day tasting menu experience.

On February 14th, Little Donkey will offer a tasting menu with 3 courses and dessert, created by Executive Chef Darrell Boles, with menu highlights such as:
Crispy Lamb and Beef Dumplings with Szechuan chili crisp
Tandoori Beets with warm burrata, tamarind chutney, curry leaf, coconut and pecan dukkah
Seared Scallop with torched miso mayo, crispy potato and tobiko
Truffle Ramen Cacio e Pepe with miso, ramen noodles, parmesan and black pepper
Red Wine Braised Wagyu Beef Cheek with potato puree and cognac prunes
Profiteroles with maple walnut ice cream and hot fudge

The indulgent tasting menu is $75/person and reservations are available on Resy.

9) This Valentine's Day, Wednesday, February 14, from 5:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., Zuma Boston will offer a special Valentine's Day Omakase Menu comprising 13 dishes and an included glass of Telmont Rosé Champagne. 

As you embark on the sensory journey, savor delights such as spicy chu toro sashimi, Chilean seabass tempura, and wagyu gyoza. Highlights include pork belly skewers with apple mustard miso, grilled scallops with pickled plum, shiso, and mentaiko butter, and a chef's premium selection of sashimi and sushi. Delight in the main course with options like roasted lobster in shiso ponzu butter, black cod marinated in saikyo miso wrapped in hoba leaf, and ribeye with chili ponzu sauce. For those seeking the epitome of indulgence, upgrade to Japanese A5 Wagyu for an additional $40 per person. Conclude your romantic evening on a sweet note with the Zuma premium dessert platter, a decadent ensemble of treats specially crafted to enchant your senses

This Omakase special costs $215 per person and Reservations can be made HERE.

10) Celebrate Valentine’s Day with your significant other at Forcella Boston. The North End restaurant is featuring a Crab & Lobster Ravioli with Caviar. The Jonah Crab, Lobster and ricotta filled ravioli is topped with oven dried tomatoes, lemon-mascapone cream and Sturgeon Caviar. This dish costs $44 and is available from February 14th-17th. Forcella is also highlighting their Rigatoni alle Melenzane dish. The $27 entree is made with Roasted Eggplant, Capers, Basil, Pomodoro and Grana. This is an easy dish that can be made from the comfort of your own home!

As for a cocktail, sip on a Chocolate-Dipped Cherry Martini. Available the week of Valentine’s Day, the cocktail is mixed with cherry vodka, triple chocolate liqueur and grenadine. Garnished with a fresh maraschino cherry, the limited-time only drink costs $18.

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